La chienne
by Maru Maru
Summary: {twoshot} During yet another shard-hunt, the group meets a strange spirit, and Kagome gets turned into something rather unusual. Will they be able to change her back?
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor am I affiliated with it in any way, shape, or form.

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"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

- change in scenery or time

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La chienne - Part 1

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Shippou bounced anxiously on the balls of his feet. "What are we going to do?" His eyes were glued onto a small, black dog in front of him. "We can't keep her… can we?" The fox demon crouched down and smoothed his hand gently through the dog's fur. She looked up with her fascinatingly blue eyes and lolled out her tongue.

Irritated, Inuyasha snatched the _kitsune_'s hand away from the dog. "Of course not." He watched as the dog flicked an ear, and unconsciously mimicked the action. "We have to find away to bring her back." They had just finished eating and were debating on what to do next. _He _wanted to keep on moving, but the rest of his group wanted to spend the night on the outskirts of this village.

Sango bent down and gently scratched behind one of the dog's ears. "But how?" The demon exterminator laughed as the dog's eyes closed in contentment.

"Stop that!" Agitated, the dog-demon eased her away from the girl. "Don't touch her."

"But she likes it!" Nevertheless, she shrugged and stood up. "In any case, we shouldn't go anywhere until we fix the situation." She thought for a while and relented a little. "We should get some sleep, at least."

The group watched as the small canine turned to face Inuyasha. Her head cocked to the side curiously, tongue lolling out again. Then, she slowly approached the _hanyou_, sniffing his hand and nudging it with her head, clearing wanting to be petted. She emitted a soft whine when he didn't do anything, and pushed against him again.

"Oh… fine." Scowling, the dog-demon grudgingly scratched the top of her head. He was careful not to cut her with his sharp claws, and gingerly moved around the ears. The dog growled her pleasure and closed her eyes.

The others exchanged amused looks, but only Miroku was brave enough to say what they were all thinking: "It seems as though you know just the right way to pet dogs. Is this from personal experience?" He laughed and avoided a swipe from Inuyasha's claws.

The dog panted and glanced from one man to the other, something akin to amusement shining in her eyes.

"Do you think she knows what we're talking about?" Sango bent down again. "She _is_ a dog."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Dogs aren't stupid. Even if they can't understand what we're saying, they can still get the meaning."

The monk's eyes were gleaming. "Personal experience, right?" He dodged another punch.

Hopping on top of the half-demon's head, Shippou pulled at Inuyasha's shoulder. "But she won't stay like this, right?" Her wide, green eyes stared at the small dog. "We'll fix everything, right?"

Miroku exhaled. "Of course we will." He bent down, reaching out for the dog, but before he could touch her, the half-demon intercepted. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha slapped his hands away.

"I'm picking her up," he responded calmly, "she can't walk as quickly as we can."

"You can't just pick her up like that." The _hanyou_ glowered at him.

He sighed. "Fine. Fine." Directing his attention back onto the dog, Miroku bowed awkwardly and held out a hand. "Will you allow me to carry you, Kagome-sama?"

Sango frowned. "Don't be sarcastic." She looked up at the sunset. "Anyway, it's getting late. Let's spend the night here and worry about getting Kagome-chan back to normal in the morning." She dug through her friend's pack, unwilling to let the men look through its contents. "Either of you want a blanket?"

The males stared at her. Both Inuyasha and Shippou held discontent in their expression, but the look on Miroku's face was something far from it. "I'll take one if we share."

She rolled her eyes and took out Kagome's sleeping bag for Shippou. "Come on. It's time for bed."

The _kitsune_ walked over and allowed Sango to tuck him in. He snuggled into it and breathed in Kagome's scent, trying to pretend she was there with him. But it still wasn't the same, and it took a while before he could fall asleep.

The demon exterminator stood up and glanced around at the others. "What, you want me to tuck _you_ in, too?" She held a hand up to Miroku as she saw his eyes light up. "No."

Inuyasha let out a tense breath and shook his head. He began heading towards the tallest tree—only to be stopped by a tugging at his pant leg. The half-demon glanced down to find his _hakama_ bottom in Kagome's mouth. "What do you want?" She whined through the material, plainly wanting for him to take her with him. "Can't you sleep with Shippou?"

Her eyes widened as she pleaded silently.

Miroku watched the exchange with interest, and decided to give Kagome a boost. He sat down and remarked casually, "She can sleep with me, if she'd like."

The _hanyou_ stiffened and shot a suspicious glare at the serene monk. He abruptly bent down and scooped the canine up. "She's not going anywhere with you, pervert." He turned and took a running start towards the tree he'd chosen, completely missing the smirk Miroku shared with Sango. With some difficulty, he managed to jump up and perch himself on a suitable branch.

Inuyasha set Kagome in front of him and warned her. "Don't fall off. It's a long way down."

She looked back and cocked her head to the side.

When it became apparent that he wasn't going to do much else, Kagome barked softly and padded her way onto his chest.

"H-hey. What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha reached down and lifted her. "You can sleep up here, but there is no way you're sleeping on me." He gave her a look and placed her back onto the branch.

Confused, the dog shook herself and stared at the half-demon. She then stood up and confidently resumed her position on top of him. She lay down, nuzzling into the warmth of his chest.

He glared at her. "Even as a dog, you manage to annoy the hell out of me, you know?" She blinked at him and sneezed. Inuyasah shook his head and begrudgingly let her stay where she was. Her weight was actually kind of comforting, but the fact that Kagome was a _dog_ still didn't sit too well with the half-demon. He said, more to himself than to her, "I can't wait until you turn back."

Kagome growled softly and drifted off to doggy-dreamland.

-

-Earlier—

"Inuyasha, haven't you found the scent yet?" Kagome stared down at the dog-demon, who was down on his fours, searching for any trace of a _youkai_ scent. She crouched nearby, stifling a yawn. "Or should we move on?"

The group had been tracking a suspected shard-carrier through the Musashi region. At first, it'd been easy, since it'd left a trail of destruction after it. However, about halfway through the search, the trail had disappeared. Either the demon had quenched its thirst for violence, or the shard had exchanged hands. Whatever the case, following the Shikon shard had become a lot harder. It was only through Inuyasha and Shippou's superior senses, that they'd even gotten this far.

The trail had lead into a large village, where it had vanished again. That was partly because of the bustle of human activity, and also partly due to the occasional overload of smells that engulfed either Inuyasha or Shippou. The shard-hunting party had split up in hopes of broadening the search area. Kagome went with Inuyasha, and Sango had dragged Miroku with her to follow Shippou.

The presence of several geisha houses prompted her to pay close attention to the perverted _houshi_.

The _hanyou_ glared up at her. "It's kind of hard to sort through the stink of humans." At his callous comment, several of the people who made up the surrounding crowd gave him affronted looks, and walked away. "And you being here doesn't help much either."

The girl hid a smile. "Because I'm distracting?"

"Because you stink the place up even more."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. Things were still a little tense between the girl and the _hanyou_- since Kikyou's last visit, emotions had run a little high, and Kagome was glad to be able to talk with Inuyasha alone for a change.

He straightened and shook his head. "Nothing." He turned and led the way through the throng of people.

"Why can't you just admit that you like my scent?" Kagome prodded him gently. "You said it before."

"Really? I don't remember." They finally reached a relatively empty area on the outskirts of the village, and he took in a deep breath. "Fresh air."

Frowning, she elaborated. "You don't? It was before we met Miroku-sama, remember? We rescued Nazuna-san, and then got trapped in a hut? It was when I found out that you turn huma—"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha turned and covered her mouth. "I remember, okay? Just don't say **it** so loudly."

Kagome grinned at him. "So you do remember."

He scowled at her. "Yeah. But I also remember that I wasn't well. Maybe your scent was strong enough to keep me awake- like smelling salts."

"That's not what you said." She teased him, and laughed when she spotted the subtle redness in his cheeks. She decided to drop it and spare the _hanyou_ any further embarrassment.

The girl sat down on a protruding rock that rested in the shade of a tall tree. Inuyasha walked over and took his seat on the floor. They rested in silence, just being content with the brief moment of peace. Neither of them noticed the suddenly interested entity hidden within the leaves above.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome stared off into the sky.

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

"What's it like?"

"What?" His expression turned quizzical.

She brought herself out of dreamland. "I mean, having your senses. What's it like, being able to smell everything?"

He shrugged carelessly. "It's not that great all the time."

"Why not?" Kagome slid her backpack off her shoulders. "You're always complaining about your senses when you're human."

Inuyasha made a face. "That's for survival, idiot. If I can't sense danger before it gets too close, then I'm dead. But sometimes, it just gets annoying."

The girl nodded in understanding. "Like when we were fighting Kotastu, right?"

"Who?" He frowned in confusion.

"That painter with the shard in his ink, remember? It was just after we met Miroku-sama. You couldn't fight properly because the ink stank so much." She smiled at the memory. "But I still think it'd be cool to have your senses."

The half-demon shook his head. "You wouldn't say the same thing if you could smell your world." He scowled. "Everything's too noisy there, too."

Kagome blinked blankly, and then nodded. "I guess so. The pollution can get a little thick." After a while, she announced loudly. "I still wish I could have your senses… for a while, anyway."

Exasperated, Inuyasha looked up and was about to ask her what exactly she expected _him_ to do, when she was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. "Shit… Kagome?" He hopped to his feet and reached out for her. "Kagome? What…?" Agitation put an edge on his voice. He waved a hand through the smoke and couldn't feel anything solid; she simply wasn't there anymore.

The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing an empty seat. "Kagome!"

He hopped around the rock, searching for any sign of the girl, but other than the pack she'd left on the floor, there was nothing. He swore thickly and tried to ignore the growing anxiety. Gods be damned, if this was some sort of a prank…

And that was when he heard the snuffling. Alarmed, the _hanyou_ placed a hand on Tetsusaiga. "Who's there?" Movement drew his eyes down to the dirt. "What the hell?" he breathed.

At his feet was a small, black dog, slightly smaller than Shippou. For a moment, his mind tried to process why and where, exactly, the dog came from. But then he got a whiff of its scent and realised why it smelled so familiar. "Oh… no. No, no, no." He shook his head, trying to think of some other reason. But there was none. "Shit." He crouched down, not quite believing what his senses told him. "Kagome?"

The dog looked up at him and panted cluelessly. Its eyes bore the unmistakable hue of Kagome's eyes. The dog's ears were shaped like his own, and its short, black fur shone with a blue sheen. It had a tail- a short thing that was wagging rather enthusiastically. Inuyasha stared down at it… _her_, and silently panicked: What was he supposed to do now?

"Isn't she cute?" A high-pitched, female voice piped up from somewhere near Inuyasha's ears.

The half-demon was careful not to move until he was sure of where the voice came from- and then he reached up with faster-than-human reflexes, snapping the _thing_ up in his hand. It squealed, and immediately started to fight back. For such a small thing, it had unbelievable strength. He brought it to his face, and was shocked to find he was holding a tiny girl.

A tiny, winged girl, who was a little larger than Inuyasha's hand, to be more precise.

And she wasn't taking her sudden captivity docilely, either. The girl struggled and kicked at her captor. She succeeded in freeing her hands and punched vainly at the half-demon's fist. "Let me go!" Her long, blond hair hung down and tickled the half-demon's knuckles. "What did I do to you, huh?" Her Japanese carried a distinct accent that was nothing he'd ever heard of.

Getting over the shock quickly, Inuyasha glared at her, his anger rising. "What did you do to her?" His voice was low and underlain with a growl. He was not in a happy mood, and she knew it.

Tired, the sprite stopped struggling. "I just granted her wish." She glared back. "You have a problem with that?" Her high-pitched voice bordered on the annoying.

"What wish? I never heard her wish to be a dog." Inuyasha tried to control the pitch of his voice. He glanced down at Kagome, and found her to be staring at him rather curiously. She panted. "Well?" He shook the girl, returning his attention to her.

She squealed. "She wished she had your senses!"

Inuyasha was caught up in a sudden rush of speechlessness. When he found his voice again, it came out unnaturally high. "So you turned her into a dog!" His jaw clenched, and he swallowed thickly. "Why didn't you just give her better senses?"

She managed to obtain a look of haughty embarrassment. "I used up my magic getting a pretty rock from some fire-breathing horse. It's easier to turn somebody into something that has all of the desired characteristics, than to enhance each area." She spoke matter-of-factly.

"So why didn't you just turn her into a demon?" He unintentionally squeezed her in his agitation. "Something that _looks_ human?"

The girl's face went blank. "But a dog is so much cuter than a demon! Demons have claws and fangs and… ugh." She made a face and fidgeted. "Can you let me go, now?"

But Inuyasha was distracted. "Wait… " Something the fairy had said flicked on a light in Inuyasha's head. "What did this 'pretty rock' look like?"

"Pink and sharp." She answered quickly, perhaps thinking that if she satisfied his questions, he'd let her go. "I had to put the demon to sleep and gouge it out of his leg." The girl shuddered.

He stared at her. "You've got the shard."

"Shard?"

"The shard we've been looking for. Give it to me."

"No!" The fairy pouted. "I found it. I want it." A sudden keenness shone in her eyes, and she lowered her voice. "But if you've got gold, I'll trade you for it." Inuyasha slowly increased pressure in his grip until tears were in her eyes. She shrieked. "Fine! Here!" She gestured with her hand, and with a soft flash, the shard appeared in the half-demon's other hand. He let his grip slacken. "Now can you let me go?"

The _hanyou_ pocketed the shard. "Not until you fix her." He looked down and noticed that the dog was wandering off. Inuyasha reached over and pulled Kagome back to him with his unoccupied hand. "Now."

She gaped at him. "But I gave you the rock!"

"I don't remember promising to let you go." The half-demon smirked at her. "Now _fix her_."

"I can't." She looked down. "Not like this, anyway." She managed her most trusting smile and honeyed her voice. "But if you let me go, I can try. I promise not to run."

"No." His expression was flat. "You think I trust you?"

The girl fought for control, but her temper got the better of her. "What do you think I am? A common leprechaun?" She huffed in indignation. "For your information, mister, I'm a fairy. And unlike leprechauns, you can trust a fairy to keep her promise."

Inuyasha stared at her hard, then begrudgingly released his hold on her. At first, the fairy plummeted through the air, but after a while of struggling to straighten her wrinkled wings, she shot back into the air. Her delicate wings were shaped strangely- almost like butterfly wings. And they weren't any single colour; they shone with the brilliance of many hues that glittered and disappeared with the tiniest movement.

Snapping out of his daze, the half-demon sharpened his reaction. He kept a hand ready to catch her again if she tried to escape, but true to her word, the fairy returned to his side. She was wearing a tiny dress that seemed to shimmer with the sheen of dewdrops, and her wings fluttered almost too quickly to be seen. She crossed her arms and waited.

"So change her back." He picked the dog up and presented her to the fairy.

She sighed. "I can't."

"What?" The _hanyou_ resisted the urge to seriously injure her. "Why not?" He set Kagome gently on the ground, and watched as she settled over his feet. Her warm weight was somewhat comforting, though also disturbing. "Well?"

"Because I'm not allowed to interfere with wishes. It's the Law."

He muttered darkly to himself. "Then I wish she was human again."

The fairy shook her head. "Wishes granted cannot tamper with existing wishes."

He was half ready to catch her and squeeze her until she changed her mind, but Inuyasha stayed his hand. There was a stand-off between fairy and _hanyou_, when a shout broke into his concentration. "Hey, Inuyasha!" Distracted, the half-demon turned his head to find the rest of his group walking towards him. Miroku waved. "Have you found anything, yet?"

"Yeah. I've got the shard, and I've also found a problem." Inuyasha sensed a sudden movement, and shot his hand out to catch the escaping fairy. "Some promise, fairy." His growl was low and menacing.

She crossed her arms crossly. "You took your attention off me. The Law says that if a mortal pays no attention to a fairy, all promises may be bypassed." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"This time, I'm not letting you go until you turn her back."

By this time, the other three had reached the shade under the tree. They stared curiously at the tiny fairy. "What is it?"

Annoyed, she glared at them all. "Not 'it'. I'm a fairy!" Shippou poked her. She giggled spontaneously. "Stop it! That's ticklish!"

The _kitsune_ quickly lost interest in the fairy. "Where'd Kagome go?" He turned his head and looked around for her.

Inuyasha growled and shook the fairy. "You can thank her for turning Kagome into a _dog_." He pointed at the canine lying across his feet. She raised her head and panted at them curiously.

The others gaped at her. "What?" Sango bent down and stared at the dog. "_This_ is Kagome-chan? But… but… how?" She reached out gingerly and stroked her head.

"Ask her." Inuyasha rattled the fairy.

She sighed. "It's not my fault. She wished it, and I granted her wish."

Miroku blinked in confusion. "But why would Kagome-sama wish to become a dog?"

"I'll explain later." Inuyasha tightened his hold on the fairy. "First, you have to tell me how to fix her."

But before the sprite could answer, a sudden realisation had struck Shippou, and he hopped excitedly to Inuyasha's shoulder. "You granted her wish? Does that mean you're a… a… genie?" He eyed her eagerly. "Like in that story Kagome told me, with the lamp?"

The fairy recoiled in disgust. "Genie? You mean genius, right? You think I'm a _genius_?" She shuddered. "They're even worse than leprechauns! Stupid, smelly things that can only use magic when their masters tell them to… They're power-obsessed and _always_ male." She shook her head. "You silly twit, I'm a pure-blood fairy from Ireland." Her chest puffed out proudly.

"For something so small, this "fairy" certainly has a lot of energy." Miroku closed in for a closer look. "And you say she turned Kagome-sama into a dog?" He looked up to Inuyasha for confirmation.

Sango rose, now carrying the dog in her arms. "So just turn her back." The dog sniffed her enthusiastically.

The fairy sighed. "I can't. I told him already: I can't interfere with granted wishes. And only the wisher can undo the spell by wishing to be normal again."

"That's kind of hard, isn't it?" Inuyasha flicked her unkindly. "Especially since she's a fucking _bitch_."

She glared at him. "If I had all my magic, you wouldn't be treating me like this." She turned her head and addressed the others. "But the spell will wear off eventually."

The demon exterminator shifted her hold on Kagome. "When?"

The answer was absurdly simple: "When the wisher is satisfied." The fairy shrugged. "She wanted to experience his senses, so when she's satisfied, she'll go back to normal."

Shippou sniffled sadly. "I want Kagome back." He eyed the small dog and pouted. "A dog can't make food."

And this was when everybody realised exactly how bad their situation was. It wasn't until now that they fully understood how crucial Kagome was to their group. With her gone, there was nobody to take care of their injuries. There was nobody to seek out the Shikon shards. Their most convenient source of food was gone as well. Their unquenchable source of enthusiasm and optimism was now contained in the body of a dog.

Miroku walked over to Sango and bent his head to look at Kagome. He was studying her, trying hard not to shift his gaze onto Sango's chest. "Maybe one of my Ofuda spells can help." He brought one out from in his robes and gently stuck it on Kagome's soft fur.

There was no effect.

"Mortal spells won't do anything." The fairy stuck her nose up. "You can't tamper with fairy magic."

"Shut up." Inuyasha shook her threateningly. "I've killed plenty of demons; snapping _you_ would be easy."

She silenced herself.

The monk sighed and looked up. "Out only option is to wait the spell out." He shook his head. "Let's hope she gets back to normal before we miss a shard."

The dog noticed the suddenly quiet atmosphere and whined softly. She didn't like the scents her friends were emitting; they made her anxious and edgy. Kagome 'woofed' and eased herself out of Sango's hold. She ran a few circles around the group, enjoying the feel of wind over her back and then stopped to paw at Shippou's leg.

The boy looked down and hesitatingly reached down to pet her. Should he treat her as he would a person, or should he play with her and enjoy the feeling of having a dog? The dog looked at him invitingly before running off. Shippou let a grin spread across his face before he laughed at her playfulness and chased after her.

The others stared after the pair and Sango let herself smile. "It doesn't look like Kagome-chan's unhappy. We'll just have to wait and make her comfortable."

Impatient, the fairy stared squirming again. "That's nice. Can you let me go, now?" She delivered a hard punch to Inuyasha's fist. "There's no point in keeping me, right?"

The _hanyou_ glanced down and glowered at her. "This is all your fault. Why should I let you go?"

Surprisingly, it was Miroku who defended the fairy. "She's right, Inuyasha. Keeping her would be no use to us; she'd just annoy us and slow you down." He rolled his shoulders. "Just let her go."

Inuyasha saw the sense in that and gave a final, threatening squeeze before releasing her. The fairy straightened her wings quickly and turned to bow to Miroku. "Thank you." She shot a dark look at her former captor and resisted throwing an insult at him. "I'm going back to Cannaught. I thought travelling the world would be fun, but I ran into _you_." She made a face at Inuyasha and with that parting remark, turned around, flying quickly off into the distance.

"Fairies are strange creatures." Sango remarked softly before stretching.

The half-demon scoffed. "I'm glad there aren't many of _her_ here." He looked around and exhaled. "I say we get away from here and get closer to the hag's village before we stop."

Sango shook her head. "It's better if we stay here; we won't make much progress before the sun sets."

Miroku nodded his agreement, and look up to find the sky darkening. "Let's eat something, and then we can decide what to do next."

Out voted, Inuyasha scowled and walked off to find Shippou before he and the dog got into too much trouble. The other two watched him leave and exchanged looks.

"How do you think he's taking it?" The girl set Hiraikotsu and began searching for firewood.

Her companion followed suit. "He's not happy, but maybe this'll be good for them both."

She looked up. "What do you mean?"

Miroku shrugged. "Kagome-sama has not been very happy lately. I think it's because Kikyou-sama has been visiting Inuyasha frequently. And he's taking her for granted." He sighed. "Maybe now he'll be able to fully realise how important she is."

Sango stared at him, surprised.

"…What?"

"You were able to say something thoughtful without ruining it with something perverted."

He closed his eyes, pained. "Yes, Sango. I can control myself."

She just smiled, and they got back to setting up camp.

-

Translations

Hanyou – half-demon  
Hakama - man's formal divided skirt  
Houshi – a low levelled priest / a monk  
Kitsune – fox (demon, in this context)  
Youkai – demon (loosely translated)  
–chan – suffix: denoting friendship; familiarity, mostly for girls  
–san – suffix: denoting respect; politeness, equivalent of 'Mr.', 'Mrs.', etc.  
–sama – suffix: denoting respect; politeness

-

-Part two will be up when I finish it- hopefully by Tuesday. The title is simply "The Bitch" in French. I'm sure you can figure out why. I just have to get the concept of Kagome turning into a dog off my chest before I get on anything else… I've also got an odd urge to write some more angst. I think I'll load it off into another oneshot I'm planning before it leaks into another story. -.-;;

For those who read it: Sorry about the wait on SG. I'm trying to smooth out some plot holes in the story and I'm also trying to make the next chapter less depressing.

Till next time…  
Ja!—


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't think I own Inuyasha… I'll have to check with my lawyer on that one.

-

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

- change in scenery or time

-

La chienne – Part 2

-

"Oh, come on." Inuyasha threw a glance backwards and stopped in his tracks. "Stop following me!" He crossed his arms and glared down at the small ball of soft, black fur.

Behind him, Kagome-the-dog happily cocked her head to the side and flicked an ear. Her tail wagged inexorably. For the entire day thus far, she'd done nothing but follow the half-demon almost wherever he went, be it on the road, through a forest, up a tree…she'd even tried to track him down while Inuyasha had been relieving himself.

Obviously, this behavior was causing the _hanyou_ to be a little edgier than usual. And the fact that the rest of the group didn't care- even _encouraged_ it -didn't help either.

The shard-hunting group was trying to get back to Kaede's village as quickly as they could, thinking that perhaps the experienced miko would have some expertise in 'curing' Kagome. Even if nothing could be done, at the very least, they would be back at the unofficial home base. When (and if) Kagome changed back, the group could, at least, start on a fresh hunt instead of being stuck on the stale trail of a Shikon shard.

However, they weren't making as good a speed as they'd hoped.

Mainly because Inuyasha kept on stopping.

The _hanyou_ turned around completely. "Can't you follow Mi-" He glanced at the monk and swiftly changed his mind. "-Sango?" He pointed at the laughing girl. "Go and bother her for a change!"

If he'd expected any answer from the dog, he was sorely disappointed. She simply panted, sat, and scratched underneath an ear. Seeing an opportunity, Inuyasha promptly picked her up, marched over to the others, and sat her in front of Sango.

"There. Your new travelling partner. Have fun." Inuyasha began walking away, but he hadn't taken so much as two steps, before he felt the soft brush of fur against his feet. He closed his eyes in exasperation before looking down. "Why me?" He muttered to himself darkly. The half-demon bent down to stare the dog in the eyes. "Why can't you annoy someone else?"

She blinked and nudged forward at him with her nose, sniffing eagerly at his cheek.

He didn't know what was more frustrating: the thought that she didn't understand him, or that she _did_ know what he was saying, and was doing this just to spite him.

The wind blew across the meadow where they'd stopped, rippling through the grass. For a moment, the half-demon was distracted by the waves it made in the dog's fur- it reminded him of how Kagome's hair looked when the wind blew through it…

He reeled back from surprise and out of his thoughts when something wet and warm drew up a cheek. Inuyasha instinctively flinched back and stared at the dog in shock… and then… embarrassment.

"Wha—what'd you do that for?" He tried to stop his cheeks from glowing, but without success. The half-demon hastily drew a hand across his cheek, trying to ignore the adoring mutt wagging her tail at his feet.

The half-demon felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and quickly shook Shippou off his perch. "What do you want?"

Grinning, the child stuck his tongue out, mimicking the dog's actions. "What does it mean when a dog licks you?" Inuyasha managed a half-hearted swipe, over which he jumped. "Come on! Tell me!"

"How would I know, brat?" He growled and glowered.

From where he was sitting, Miroku piped up with a suggestion. "I thought it was a sign of devotion." He paused for consideration. "But then again, maybe she was just curious about how you taste." Beside him, Sango muffled a laugh.

Inuyasha shot him a dark look, just daring him to go on. He glanced back at Shippou. "Shut up. The sooner Kagome turns back, the sooner we can find another shard." Scowling, he turned his attention back on the canine. "And can't you stop following me?"

The _kitsune_ stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha. "You shouldn't be complaining. This way, Kagome can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't run off to that _other_ girl." Shippou hopped over the half-demon's swipe. "And besides, it's your fault she's like this." He leaned over and ran his hand through the dog's fur a couple of times.

Inuyasha growled, almost inaudibly, and rolled up a sleeve threateningly. "Brat… Have you forgotten that she can't say 'sit' anymore?"

As if suddenly realising this, Shippou paled… before taking off towards Sango.

The _hanyou_ stood up and cracked his knuckles, ready to pummel the boy. But just as he was about to chase him, Inuyasha felt something holding him back at his pant leg. He glanced back to find Kagome efficiently anchoring him down, her teeth impeded in the fabric of his pants. He glared at her. "Let go."

Blue eyes flashed to him, and the image of an extremely angry Kagome popped in the _hanyou_'s head. Inuyasha let out a terse breath and let his muscles loosen. After a few seconds of calming down, he huffed, "Fine. I won't hurt the kid. Will you let go of me, now?"

She continued to glare at him, but slowly released her hold on his pant leg, leaving a wet spot where her mouth had been. The dog trotted over to his hand and nipped it sharply, making him draw it back with a hiss. Kagome gave him another lingering, reproachful look, before turning tail and moving to where the others were watching.

By the time she'd reached them, Kagome seemed to have resumed her friendly nature as she gave Kirara a challenging bark and ran off with the cat demon in full chase. Shippou laughed after them, and seeing no more threat in Inuyasha, joined in on the game.

"At least she's not following _me_ anymore." Inuyasha muttered to himself. But the thought didn't seem to cheer him up. On the contrary, he appeared to be quite disappointed that Kagome'd left.

Miroku walked over to the despondent _hanyou_. "Kagome-sama may not be able to use the rosary to subdue you…" His gaze flickered over the shiny beads. "But she can still be very aggressive when she has to be." He took a seat next to Inuyasha and stayed silent for a while. And then, "Why did you stop?"

The half-demon glanced over at the placid monk and frowned. "Stop what?"

"Why didn't you chase after Shippou? I know you're stronger than a dog, Inuyasha." He smirked slightly. "Why did you stop?" He stared across the meadow at Sango, who was currently engaged in an energetic game of hide-and-seek with Kirara, Shippou, and Kagome. "It's amazing what one would do for the person he cares for, eh?" He slid a side-long look at him. "How he could change."

Inuyasha stared at him silently before scoffing, crossing his arms. "I was just surprised. And besides, the brat's not worth it." The delivery of the statement was meant to be casual, but the tenseness in the half-demon's jaw and the edged voice bellied his calm expression; Inuyasha clearly meant for the discussion to end there.

But Miroku plowed straight ahead. "I don't think so."

"What?" The half-demon's expression was not the least bit pleasant. His tone almost dared the man to say something he didn't like. "What are you saying?"

The _houshi_ glanced over, unconcerned. "Nothing. You could have done something, and you didn't. I was just curious." He rose and set down his staff. "Would you have done the same thing before you met Kagome-sama?" He gave Inuyasha a critical look, and raised his head, speaking to everybody. "It's time for lunch. I'll go gather the firewood."

Inuyasha stared at him, completely at a loss for words. On the one hand, he wanted to smack the monk over the head for being so damned mysterious, but on the other, something was telling him that Miroku _did_ have a point. It was just finding out what the point was, that was the hard part. So he was left sitting in the grass, thinking more than he cared to, while Miroku took off in the direction of a near-by wood.

Sango perked up and slowed down enough to be bowled over by the fully transformed Kirara. "Ahh…" The fire-cat resumed her usual form, and Sango rose, brushing herself off. "I'll help, Houshi-sama." She bent down and picked her partner up, following Miroku. "As long as you don't try anything."

When the two humans had reached the edge of a light forest, they paused, as if waiting.

When nothing happened, the man rose his head and called out, "Shippou? Come help us!"

The _kitsune_ poked his head up from where'd he'd been hiding. "Why?" Before they had a chance to answer, a flying ball of fur tackled him, sending the child sprawling and giggling on the grass. "Hey! No fair!"

Kagome 'woof'-ed quietly before settling beside him.

"Shippou!"

He pouted, sitting up. "Why? Can't you get wood by yourselves?"

Miroku sighed and tried again. "Shippou…" He shot a pointed look at Inuyasha's back.

Shippou blinked in confusion, and then his eyes lit up. "Oh! Okay." He sprung up and hurried to join the other three. The _kitsune_ paused only once to dissuade Kagome from following him. "You have to stay here."" He bent down and whispered, too quiet for even Inuyasha's ears to hear, "You have to stay. That's the plan."

The hanyou shot a suspicious look behind him, but Miroku was no longer pointing him out in anyway.

Grinning widely, the boy walked off with Sango and Miroku, looking back once to stick his tongue out at the _hanyou_.

Inuyasha continued to stare after the other three until their backs had disappeared in the shadows cast by the eaves of the trees. He then turned back grumpily and found himself staring into Kagome's energetic eyes.

"What, you not mad at me anymore?" He looked at her dully.

The dog just panted brightly and blinked. She placed a paw lightly on a knee, clearly begging for attention.

The half-demon sighed and looked around, checking that he was really alone. He then begrudgingly reached out and lifted her gently into his lap. "Haven't you finished being a dog yet?" He mused quietly, more to himself than to the dog. She, however, barked softly and nudged his stationary hand with her head. Almost unconsciously, Inuyasha obligingly moved his fingers, carefully petting her.

"You know, I like you better as a girl." He stared down at her almost sadly. "Maybe if I'd done something… this wouldn't have happened…"

Realising the serious mood, Kagome looked up and nudged her head gently against his neck. A soft growl spread through her body in a show of contentedness and as an attempt at comfort. When he still smelled of sadness, the dog whined and delivered a few licks to his jaw.

Inuyasha bent his head the other way, his lips twitching because of how ticklish her rough tongue felt. "What if you never turn back?" The _hanyou_ lifted her, cradling her gently. "I'm…" He averted his eyes from the curious, blue ones. "I'm sorry."

He set her down on the grass.

The dog stared at him in confusion, her tail dropping disappointedly. She didn't understand why her friend was so sad. And his depression dampened her own happy mood. She whined again, her concern apparent.

But then…

Suddenly, Kagome stiffened. Her ears cocked up, she stood up straight, and even her tail seemed to quiver in the sudden moment of silence. Every aspect of her posture suggested an eager attentiveness.

Inuyasha noticed this and he stared at her sharply. "What? What's wrong?" He looked around and discretely sniffed the air, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

However, she was still stiff with alert. Her eyes trailed across the meadow, and then, with just one, loud bark, she was off.

Kagome took off, tearing through the grass towards some unseen target. The half-demon stared after her in a moment of astonishment before he snapped to it and raced after her. "Hey! Wait!" He stumbled over a rock in the grass. "What the hell are you doing?" He didn't have time to wonder about her unbelievable speed; he was concerned solely with following her and making sure she stayed safe. "Kagome!"

Through the meadow they ran, the dog always seeming just a few paces ahead of the boy.

"Kagome! Slow down!" Maybe it was because of her erratic twists and turns, but Inuyasha just couldn't seem to get close enough to her to catch her. "What the hell?" His ears twitched as they caught the sound of running water. "Water?"

And indeed, it wasn't soon before the unusual pair emerged to run alongside a wide river. Kagome barked again, ecstatically, and amazingly enough, _sped up_. The dog seemed to be propelled by a tireless energy, simply flying across the ground. Inuyasha sped up as well, and because the dog was now running in a straight line, managed to get close enough to see what the entire hubbub was about:

Something was flying before the canine. Its wings fluttered quickly and it always kept just a few wingbeats before its pursuer.

Inuyasha gaped at it in shock and indignation. _This_ was what Kagome was chasing after?

A butterfly?

Breathing out a growl of frustration, the half-demon threw all caution to the wind and slowed down enough to crouch and leap forward in a powerful jump. His aim was perfect, and everything would have gone perfectly according to plan… had that _blasted river_ not been in the way.

"Fuck." Inuyasha's tackle connected solidly with the dog, and he quickly rolled over so as not to crush her. However, this action ended up dunking both the half-demon and the canine into the river.

The current wasn't terribly strong, but all the same, he felt his grip loosen on the dog. The water in his eyes blinded Inuyasha, and he couldn't see where Kagome was being washed. "Kagome!" He slipped and became engulfed in the river. Somewhere above the surface of the water, he thought he could hear the barking of a dog…

The _hanyou_ forced himself out and shook the hair and water from his face. "Kagome!" He glanced around frantically for any sign of the dog, but he couldn't find any. His chest tightened, and he shuddered suddenly. "Shit… Kagome!"

His anxiety was short-lived, however, as something large collided suddenly with his back, sending him flying back into the river.

Inuyasha gasped unintentionally, breathing in a lung-ful of water. He stood up and coughed, not used to being surrounded by this much water. He shook the liquid away again, clearing his waterlogged ears.

And that's when he became aware of a sound he'd thought he'd never hearing again.

The half-demon's gaze snapped to his right, onto the girl…sitting in the river… laughing at him…

…the girl…

He gaped at her, stiff with shock for just a few seconds.

And then, his muddled thoughts finally processed, and he reached out to touch the girl on the shoulder. "Kagome?"

Bright, azure eyes looked up at him, and the girl grinned cheerfully. "That was fun!"

"You… you're all right…" Inuyasha felt the sudden '_whoosh_' of relief he'd felt for so many times in the past when he'd thought she'd been in danger. "You're not hurt. And you're not a dog." His stare turned flat. "And you're laughing at me."

Kagome looked at him curiously. "Were you worried?"

The half-demon was at a loss for words for quite a while, before his anger bubbled up to replace the relief. "Worried? Was I worried?" He stood up (which was a feat all in itself, with his soaked clothes dragging him down), towering over the girl. "What the hell do you think, wench?" Inuyasha took a step closer to her. "Don't ever make stupid wishes again!"

The girl only smiled sweetly at him, and he was once again, robbed of his words.

"Jeesh…" Inuyasha shook his head and plopped back into the water. "Just… don't do anything that stupid again." He scoffed, resuming his usual personality. "Chasing after a butterfly."

Kagome looked at him knowingly and shuffled closer. "I'm sorry if I worried you." She embraced him briefly, knowing his dislike for close contact. "It was fun, though." She sighed and closed her eyes. "Being a dog was cool."

The half-demon glanced at her from the corner of his eye and shook his head. His sharp eyes caught a slight shiver passing through her body, and he stood up. "You're cold." He took off his _haori_. "At least this will be warmer, even if it's wet." He placed it over her shoulders. "Now let's get back to camp."

She stared at him silently and accepted his hand to pull herself upright. "Thanks, Inuyasha." She added, on impulse, "You're the best." He paused and half-turned, waiting for her to walk alongside him back to camp. "I hope you know the way back, 'cause I don't."

Inuyasha sighed, draping his arm across her shoulders briefly to stop his coat from falling off. "Don't worry. I… I'll take care of yo—of us."

Kagome just smiled quietly, edging closer to the _hanyou_ for warmth.

-

Inuyasha was perched in a tree, getting ready to keep a night's watch again. Everybody else had gone to sleep, and the fire was burning at a low flame.

By the time the two had found their way back to camp, the others had already returned with firewood, and had been searching for them. Everybody had been relieved to find Kagome normal and well, thought they had been curious about their soaked condition. But since neither Kagome nor Inuyasha seemed ready to tell, the others had refrained from asking.

Kagome had cooked dinner again, a fact at which Sango was relieved- she never could get the hang of making food taste good, or even edible, for that matter. The girl had talked briefly about her experience as a dog: how amazing their senses were; how different everything seemed…

"Dogs know how to be happy," she's revealed, "they hate being sad, and they hate it when anybody else isn't happy." Kagome had added on how she'd seen things. "I don't really remember. I just know that the world seemed to much brighter… and how everything smelled different. I don't really remember anything else."

But in the end, she'd admitted that being human was still the best.

The _hanyou_'s gaze drifted lazily to the sky lying open above him. The stars twinkled with an innocent light, and for a moment, he was so distracted that he didn't notice the quiet scrabbling at the base of his tree.

Inuyasha glanced down. "What the hell are you doing?" He leapt down from his branch almost silently to land behind Kagome. She'd been trying to climb up his tree. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

The girl shrugged. "I couldn't.

"So you try to climb a tree?"

"I wanted to talk."

The half-demon rolled his eyes, but all the same, he scooped her up quickly, leapt up, and set her down on his branch- all within a matter of seconds.

"That was fast." Kagome sat awkwardly across from Inuyasha, trying not to look down and lose her balance.

He sighed discreetly and reached over, pulling her over so that she rested in his lap.

"Inuyasha!" She whispered and tried to move away, but the hand around her waist proved that to be rather difficult. "What are… what are you doing?"

"Stop moving, or we'll both fall." She fell limp. "Exactly." He suppressed his embarrassment. "You wanted to come up here. And if I leave you alone, you'll fall and break something."

"I would not."

The half-demon abruptly let go of her, and smirked in satisfaction as her hands tightened on the fabric covering his chest. "Inuyasha!" The terrified whisper prompted him to take hold of her again.

"See?"

"Fine." Kagome tried to relax from the shock. "But as long as I have to stay here…" She tried to straighten her legs and wiggled until she was in a relatively comfortable position.

Inuyasha stared at her. "What're you doing?"

She glared defiantly back. "I'm sleeping over. I won't be able to get back to the ground in the nighttime now, so I'm spending the night in your tree." She hesitated slightly before placing her head on his chest. Being like this was making her nervous, and the fluttering in her stomach wasn't entirely due to fear. "You… You don't mind, do you?"

She felt his muscles tighten and prepared herself for rejection.

"…No." He relaxed. "As long as it's only for one night. And…" He shifted forwards and worked off his _haori_, all the while keeping at least one hand on the girl. "And get under this so you don't get cold."

Touched by his unusually thoughtful gesture, Kagome sighed and closed her eyes as the warmth of his coat draped over her. "Thank you."

"Keh. Don't expect this every night." The silence settled like a sheet of snow before he disturbed it again. "You really were a bitch, this time." He smirked as he felt her light punch.

The girl felt the wings of sleep closing on her. But before she drifted off, she had to say just one more thing. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"How do I smell, again?"

He frowned at the odd question. "Weird. You smell weird."

Kagome felt a smile touch at her lips. "Well," she yawned, "then you smell weird too…"

And she fell asleep.

-

Translations

Hanyou – half-demon  
Houshi – a low levelled priest / a monk  
Kitsune – fox (demon, in this context)  
–chan – suffix: denoting friendship; familiarity, mostly for girls  
–sama – suffix: denoting respect; politeness

-

-I'd like to thank my friend- who will be known as Maximaro, who sent me this song that let me feel the mood of this story better. It wasn't so much the lyrics as it was the tune that helped in sobering up for Inuyasha's musings. J A song by Simple Plan, I think.

All right, this short story is over, and I should be getting back to my regular _programme_ soon- as soon as I finish my book report for English. T.T

Well, Till next time…

Ja-


End file.
